GOP priorities alienate MAHA supporters

Supporters of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) agenda are feeling betrayed by the Republican Party as the administration cozies up to industry insiders and lawmakers support legislation contrary to their values.

At last week’s MAHA summit, industry insiders representing artificial intelligence, big business and the pharmaceutical industry were given the stage alongside top Trump administration officials. Less represented at the event were MAHA activists.

Voters in this bloc are characterized by their support for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as well as distrust of vaccine mandates and chemical and agriculture corporations .

“Do we vote for someone who supports vaccine mandates … or do we vote for someone who is actively supporting pesticides and poison in our foods that our babies and children eat on a daily basis?” said Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America. “It’s an impossible decision, and this is why many of our moms are saying they’re going to stay home, or vote independent, write somebody in.”

MAHA supporters were left disappointed earlier this year when the GOP’s farm bill included provisions to extend the deadline for the EPA to re-review health impacts of pesticides that are already on the market.

For pesticides that were on the market prior to a 2007 update to the law, the deadline had previously been 2026. The farm bill would extend it to 2031 .

Jeff Hutt, who worked on Kennedy’s presidential campaign, agreed that many of the MAHA supporters who backed Trump in 2024 specifically because of Kennedy may stay home . Republicans shouldn’t count on those votes, he said, because the party is more beholden to Trump than to the MAHA ideals.

“The Republican Party really went from being a big tent party in ‘24 to a pup tent party in ‘26. I think a lot of those voters are going to stay home,” said Hutt.

Welcome to The Hill’s Healthcare newsletter , we’re Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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